How is it possible that when barking dogs kept me up for hours in the middle of the night in ET I could easily think of twenty blog posts and hundreds of stories I wanted to share...and now that we are home- they are stuck in my head and words are scarce?
There was so much we were unsure of heading over there...there were emotions, nerves, excitement, anxiousness, nerves, concern, nerves, happiness, nerves...we were NERVOUS! How does one go about meeting their child(ren) that have already lived nine years of their life...and all you know is a short paragraph of information? What do you say when the language barrier stands between you....how do you keep yourself from reaching out and hugging and kissing a child who DOES NOT know you but that you already love? How do you tell a child who has been waiting two years for a family that the wait is not quite over yet? All of this and so much more had me just a little fidgety on the mere 20 hours we spent traveling.
The actual meeting of our children was not exactly what I had seen in all the sweet videos that I have watched on others' blogs....but my numerous years of education in counseling/psychology reminded me that this was OKAY. In some ways their response was appropriate...and the hugs we earned by the end of the day and throughout the week are what we will remember most. But upon actually meeting them- our three beautifully polite boys shook our hands in the traditional manner. They smiled huge smiles and when other children came running also they stepped in closer...as if to say, "this is my turn." But I had to remind myself that as much as I wanted to take them in my arms...I was still a stranger...and we had to "get to know" each other just like in any other relationship. Now, the fantastic thing about boys...is that sports know no language! Neither do piggy back rides =)
The language barrier is almost impossible to prepare for...let's face it- we were not going to learn Amharic in the last few months...there's no Rosetta stone for that. And, our boys actually speak three different languages...because as my husband has informed me...ET has 75 different languages. But, for all of you who were concerned about the language barrier for us...we did just fine =) Thank you to my beautiful friend and fellow adoptive mommy who reminded me that gestures can go a long way!! I have never pretended to drink from a cup so many times in one week!
Possibly the greatest joy was in learning that we have three lively, FUNNY, entertaining, and silly boys! They kept us laughing. We loved when our driver would translate for us the jokes they were telling about each other...my favorite was our middle commenting on our VERY TALKATIVE oldest, "He talks 100 hours - never stops!" And we thought Little Man was our talker- they are going to be competition for each other...good thing they aren't sharing a bedroom or we'd never get sleep in this house! (I know, I know- we may never anyways!)
As much fun as the week was...there were also moments when you remember you are walking with children who have been hurt and disappointed...moments when you know the journey will be rocky and steep....and require patience and prayer....but the HOPE that abounded in these children assured us that God has called us exactly to this moment...to these three...and we wait anxiously to hear (hopefully this week) that we are their forever family!
Getting ready to meet the boys!
There was so much we were unsure of heading over there...there were emotions, nerves, excitement, anxiousness, nerves, concern, nerves, happiness, nerves...we were NERVOUS! How does one go about meeting their child(ren) that have already lived nine years of their life...and all you know is a short paragraph of information? What do you say when the language barrier stands between you....how do you keep yourself from reaching out and hugging and kissing a child who DOES NOT know you but that you already love? How do you tell a child who has been waiting two years for a family that the wait is not quite over yet? All of this and so much more had me just a little fidgety on the mere 20 hours we spent traveling.
The actual meeting of our children was not exactly what I had seen in all the sweet videos that I have watched on others' blogs....but my numerous years of education in counseling/psychology reminded me that this was OKAY. In some ways their response was appropriate...and the hugs we earned by the end of the day and throughout the week are what we will remember most. But upon actually meeting them- our three beautifully polite boys shook our hands in the traditional manner. They smiled huge smiles and when other children came running also they stepped in closer...as if to say, "this is my turn." But I had to remind myself that as much as I wanted to take them in my arms...I was still a stranger...and we had to "get to know" each other just like in any other relationship. Now, the fantastic thing about boys...is that sports know no language! Neither do piggy back rides =)
The language barrier is almost impossible to prepare for...let's face it- we were not going to learn Amharic in the last few months...there's no Rosetta stone for that. And, our boys actually speak three different languages...because as my husband has informed me...ET has 75 different languages. But, for all of you who were concerned about the language barrier for us...we did just fine =) Thank you to my beautiful friend and fellow adoptive mommy who reminded me that gestures can go a long way!! I have never pretended to drink from a cup so many times in one week!
Possibly the greatest joy was in learning that we have three lively, FUNNY, entertaining, and silly boys! They kept us laughing. We loved when our driver would translate for us the jokes they were telling about each other...my favorite was our middle commenting on our VERY TALKATIVE oldest, "He talks 100 hours - never stops!" And we thought Little Man was our talker- they are going to be competition for each other...good thing they aren't sharing a bedroom or we'd never get sleep in this house! (I know, I know- we may never anyways!)
As much fun as the week was...there were also moments when you remember you are walking with children who have been hurt and disappointed...moments when you know the journey will be rocky and steep....and require patience and prayer....but the HOPE that abounded in these children assured us that God has called us exactly to this moment...to these three...and we wait anxiously to hear (hopefully this week) that we are their forever family!
Getting ready to meet the boys!
Tears. It still feels like a dream!
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